Sons of Kemet - film released

Music

Posted
September 18, 2018

Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ series

For the final film in our 2018 Hyundai Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year' series we were joined in Paris by Sons of Kemet. The films celebrate the 2018 shortlist and were co-created with cultural curators, Boiler Room.

The band is formed of twin drums, tuba and sax which is played by the Shabaka Hutchins who is quickly becoming an icon in modern jazz.

The album, titled 'Your Queen is a Reptile' has been described by the judges as a "triumph of intricate instrumental interplay and astounding collective energy". The record consists of nine tracks, each named after influential black women in history who have inspired the band. The first track on the album and the song the band chose to perform for the series, is a tribute to Shabaka Hutching's great grandmother, Ada Eastman. Shabaka admires her for supporting her family by working for many years and building three houses for her family to live in:

“for me, that’s the kind of spirit that’s important never to forget … we come from a history of having to sacrifice and having to struggle to get to the position that we are [in]”.

To see if Sons of Kemet perform and the winner of 2018 Hyundai Mercury Prize Album of the Year announced, tune in on Thursday 20 September, BBC Four at 9pm or listen on BBC Radio 6 Music from 7pm.